Kris and Silver
by johnerif
Summary: Based off of Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver, a young boy named Kris sets out with his Chikorita named Nina, meeting many new people and making friends along the way; he's constantly fought, though, by the mysterious "Silver" who brutalizes his own Pokemon and sneers at the "weakness" of Kris's kind heart.
1. Chapter 1

Kris groaned as his mother shouted up at him; he rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up. "What's that?" he called back down, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

"I said to wake up, Professor Elm needs you!" his mother's voice called up, echoing up the stairwell.

_Professor Elm? _he thought, slightly confused. He was friends with the professor, and his daughter was his age; still, he had never been called over like this.

_Oh, well. At least it'll be interesting, _Kris thought, standing up and stretching. "I'm on my way down!" he shouted, pulling on his red jacket, gold-and-black hat, and his bag. He took the stairs two at a time and passed through the living room, walking up to his mom at the table. "So, what does Prof. Elm need me for?"

His mother shrugged. "I don't know; he just called over here a moment ago. He said he needed your help with a very important experiment. Here, I got you this notepad; maybe you can keep a report of your own!" She handed him the pad and a pen, grinning excitedly. "I can't believe my little boy is already grown-up enough to handle this big of a task!"

Groaning, Kris still blushed some at his mother's praise. "Alright, alright; I'm gonna go now, see ya later." He turned and headed out the door, his mom calling out for him to be safe as the front door shut behind him.

Glancing behind him at his mother's call, Kris stumbled and bumped into something small and round. He blinked and turned quickly, looking down to see a bright blue Marill gazing up at him, its tail bobbing up and down. "Marrrrill!" it growled out, blinking cutely.

"Oh, there you are!" a girl's voice said. Kris looked over to see Lyra, his neighbor and childhood friend. "Hey, Lyra!" he said, smiling at her. "Been playing hide and seek with your Marill?"

Lyra giggled and nodded. "Yep! But he always picks the best places to hide, ya know?" She scooped up her Marill and grinned at Kris. "Well, I'd best get this little guy back home, time for his breakfast."

"Marill, maaarill!" the Pokémon exclaimed happily, as Lyra toted him back to her house. Kris followed her at first, but then turned towards the front side of the large building that housed both Lyra's home and Professor Elm's lab.

Stepping through the door, Kris gasped as he saw the interior of the laboratory. In the front, there were large bookcases that were filled to the brim with scientific research journals and the like. Further back, he could see the professor fiddling with a large machine that housed three PokéBalls.

"Hey, Prof. Elm, it's me!" he called out, walking past a few lab assistants on his way to the back. The professor glanced up and grinned. "Fantastic! Kris, I'm working on an experiment, and I need your help."

Kris nodded, stopping right in front of the machine. "Yeah, my mom told me. Does it have something to do with those PokéBalls?"

Elm grinned and nodded. "Yes, it does. Before these PokéBalls were invented, Trainers just walked with their Pokémon, like my daughter does with her Marill. I think that walking with one's Pokémon can influence its evolution; Kris, I want you to take one of these Pokémon and test that theory out!"

Kris froze for a second. "Wait…what? Y-You want me….to raise a Pokémon?" He began to grin slightly. Professor Elm nodded and stepped aside, opening up the glass casing on the machine.

Trembling slightly, Kris stepped forward and looked at the three PokéBalls. He slowly reached in and took the one in front; a monitor on the top of the machine showed that the grass Pokémon Chikorita had been removed from the case.

"Ooh, Chikorita…most of them love the sun, and enjoy playing more than fighting," Professor Elm stated, looking at the PokéBall in Kris's hand. "Now, if you'll press the button on that PokéBall, you can have your very first Pokémon!"

Kris nodded and, taking a deep breath, pressed the center button. The PokéBall popped open and a flash of light streamed out, forming into a small little shape. The light faded and revealed a lime-green Pokémon with a large leaf on its head. "Chi-kooor!" it called.

Kris grinned and knelt down, slowly holding out his hand to the Pokémon. "Hey there, Chikorita…my name's Kris. I'm gonna be your Trainer!"

The Chikorita nuzzled up to Kris's hand before biting down on it sharply. "Ow!" Kris cried, pulling back and massaging it.

"Kris, are you alright?" the professor exclaimed, kneeling down beside him.

The Chikorita pouted and tried to nuzzle against Kris again, wondering why this new human was shying away from her; she had just given him a playful little nom.

Kris whimpered and didn't hold out his hand again. "Ch-Chikor, that hurt…" he said, biting his lip to keep it from trembling.

Professor Elm glanced between the two of them, frowning slightly. "Hmm, you sure you want this Pokémon, Kris? She seems a little…feisty."

The Chikorita pouted again, hopping up onto Kris's lap and licking his neck. "Chi-kor!" she exclaimed, wagging her small tail cutely. Kris looked down at her and smiled slightly. "N-No, Prof. Elm…I-I think I can handle her."

He stood up, picking up the Chikorita and holding her in his arms. "I think I'll call her Nina."

Nina blinked and wriggled out of his arms, landing on the floor. "Chikor-REE!" she called up, grinning. Kris chuckled. "So I guess you wanna walk, then?" Nina nodded.

The professor chuckled and grinned. "Fantastic, then!" A light beep grabbed Elm's attention and he turned towards his laptop. "Huh? Wait…oh dear." He turned back towards Kris and Nina, his face thoughtful. "Kris, it appears that my friend Mr. Pokémon has found something real this time; it's annoying, but could you go for us? I'm sure it'll give you time to bond with…Nina, was it?"

Nina growled cutely and nodded. Kris glanced down and grinned. "Looks like Nina wants to; guess I can't say no!"

The professor grinned again. "Great! Mr. Pokémon's house is just north of Cherrygrove City, you can't miss it."

Kris nodded and waved to Prof. Elm as he walked away. "Thanks, professor!" Nina growled again and pranced in front of Kris; they made their way back to the front door.

"Wait, Kris!" a voice called out.

Kris paused and turned around. "Hmm? What's up?"

One of the lab assistants ran up and handed him a pack of Potions. "Here, take these. If your Chikorita gets wounded, spray one of these on the wound."

Kris grinned and nodded. "Right, thank you!" He turned and held the door open for Nina before walking out himself. "Alright, Nina, let's go!" Nina nodded and set off by his side. They walked towards the edge of the town, past the large exterior of the lab. In the corner of Kris's eye, he noticed a form standing in the alleyway by the lab; he turned to get a full view of a boy with dark red hair staring through a window.

Kris walked closer and heard him mutter, "So this is Elm's lab…" The boy glanced over at Kris and narrowed his eyes. "What're you looking at, kid? Get outta here!" Kris squeaked and backed away, though Nina growled threateningly, standing her ground.

"N-Nina, come on!" Kris stammered out; Nina reluctantly backed away and walked to Kris, though she tossed her head huffily towards the rude boy. Together, they walked away, Kris biting his lip again. "H-He was scary…" he muttered.

"Wait! Kris!" the professor's voice called out from behind them.

Kris turned around again, confused. "What's wrong, Professor?"

Professor Elm ran up to them, panting slightly. "N-Nothing…just wanted to give you my number. You have a Pokégear, right?"

Kris nodded. "Of course!" He tilted his arm, the Pokégear strapped to his wrist. The professor flicked it open and quickly typed in his number; he shut it and grinned. "Fantastic! Now then, you get going! Thank you!"

"Thank you, professor!" Kris said, turning around again. Nina, having glanced between them during the exchange, cantered out to be in the lead as they took their first steps onto Route 29 that led straight to Cherrygrove City.

"Here we go, Nina…" he said softly, grinning. "First time out with a Pokémon…should be fun, no?" Nina nodded her agreement, growling out, "Chik-or!"

Kris started down the path; off to the sides were a few patches of taller grass that had wild Pokémon rustling around in them. Suddenly, a Sentret leaped out at them, growling menacingly. Nina narrowed her eyes and growled back, leaning down and swishing the leaf on her head. "Chik-or-reee…"

Glancing between them, Kris grinned. "Wait, is this our first battle? Sweet!" The Sentret took the distraction and leaped forward, aiming to tackle Nina and knock her off her feet. She dodged to the left, skidding on the dirt path slightly. "Chi-kor!" She returned the attack and slammed her head against Sentret, knocking it into the grass on the side. The Sentret whimpered and scurried away, scared by Nina's power.

"Great job, Nina!" Kris exclaimed, kneeling down and hugging her. "You were amazing!" Nina growled lightly and nuzzled against his arms. "Chik-or-REE-ta!"

Kris stood up and nodded at her; they returned to walking down the road, heading towards Cherrygrove City and Mr. Pokémon.


	2. Chapter 2

"Look, Nina, that's Cherrygrove City!"

Ahead of Kris and Nina was the small settlement of Cherrygrove City; a quaint little spot, it was still much busier than Kris's home in New Bark Town. They walked into the main square, a Pokémon Mart and Pokémon Center up on the boulevard. An elderly gentlemen noticed Kris and stepped forward, smiling at him.

"Hello, there, youngster. I bet you're a rookie trainer, aren't ya?" he asked, chuckling. "Well, I've got here a map card that I don't need no more; I don't travel like I used to. It would do me good to see it go to a more deserving young gentlemen like yourself."

Kris blinked and took the card, slipping it into his Pokégear. "Wow, thanks, mister! I appreciate it!" Nina nodded, her leaf swaying in approval. The man chuckled and nodded. "No need; everyone's a rookie at some point!" He waved his hand and started to walk back to a small house over on the other side of the square.

Kris checked out his new map and zoomed in to just north of Cherrygrove City, grinning as he pinpointed Mr. Pokémon's house. "Right, so, we need to head north, then take the right path when the road forks. Mr. Pokémon's house is just beyond that." Nina blinked and headed off, her leaf shifting from side to side as she waddled slightly.

They made their way down the next Route, heading up a small set of stairs before pausing at a man's house. "Wait…Nina, is this Mr. Pokémon's house?" he asked. Nina blinked, not saying anything. With a shrug, Kris knocked on the door.

It flew open and a middle-aged man grinned out at him. "Hey, there, young fella!" he said. "Betcha you're lookin' for Mr. Pokémon's house, aren't ya?" he asked. Kris slowly nodded, a little frightened. "Well, I'm not him; he's just up the road there. But still, no need to leave disappointed; have this!"

Kris squeaked slightly as a small box was thrust into his arms. The man grinned. "That's an Apricorn box; collect those little fruits off of trees and you can make PokéBalls with 'em!" Kris nodded and slowly backed away. "Th-Thank you, mister…" he stammered out. Nina looked nonplussed as the man waved quickly before shutting the door.

"Well that was…weird…" Kris muttered. Nina growled in agreement, her leaf flattened on top of her head. They slowly backed away from the door and headed around the house. The rest of the path was overgrown by weeds and flowers, and Kris could see a few Ledybas and Hoppips floating around in the warm sun. "Okay…let's get through this and go to Mr. Pokémon's house!"

Nina cantered forward, charging through the grass with her leaf flailing. The Ledybas and Hoppips scattered and hovered, out of Nina's reach. Kris followed, wondering what would happen next; then he suddenly had an idea. "Nina!" he called out. "Try using Razor Leaf! Hit them in the air!"

Nina heard her Trainer's voice and growled in acknowledgement. She tilted her head back and rapidly swung it forward, her leaf glowing and shooting out green slashes through the air, hitting several Hoppips and a Ledyba. The Pokémon fell to the ground, dazed, as Nina twirled in a circle, growling her dominance. The Razor Leaves soon petered out and fell to the ground, just simple green leaves now that they weren't charged up with Nina's spirit. Kris walked over to her, grinning. "That was amazing, Nina! You're so strong!"

Nina growled contentedly and pranced ahead, heading straight up a longer path that forked to the right of the main road. Kris followed her, careful not to step on any of the Pokémon she had knocked out.

Up ahead of them, there was a small cottage with a light on in the window; Kris hurried up to the front door and knocked. It opened and a grey-haired man with a dark brown hat greeted them.

"Hello, youngster! You must be Kris, Professor Elm emailed me that you were coming. Come in, come in!" He stood aside and allowed Kris and Nina to pass through. "I was just entertaining Professor Oak. Now then…" He walked past Kris to a cabinet, took out a small object from it, and slowly walked back to him, cradling an egg in his arms. "This is what I wanted Professor Elm to examine. A friend from Ecruteak City gave it to me; she said it was quite rare. Hopefully, Professor Elm will be able to tell what kind of Pokémon will hatch from it."

"He's the best at researching Pokémon evolution," a voice rang out. Kris glanced around to see another grey-haired gentleman in a white lab coat walk into the room. "Hello, Kris, I'm Professor Oak, a colleague of Elm's. Did he give you this Pokémon?" Oak bent down to look at Nina, who leant up and bit his nose sharply.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Kris exclaimed, picking up Nina quickly and holding her away from the professor.

"No, no, it's quite alright," Oak said, chuckling and rubbing his nose. "She's just very playful, that's all. Now then, she seems very attached to you…Kris, you appear to be a very capable Trainer. Would you mind doing me a favor?"

Kris blinked, unsure what the professor meant. "What kind of favor?"

Oak grinned. "Well, I've got an invention named the Pokédex. It records information on wild Pokémon just by you seeing them. When you catch them, it gathers even more data. Would you be so kind as to help me fill it out? I'm sure it'll help you just as much as it would help me."

Kris nodded and set Nina down. "Well, that seems great, I'd love to help!"

"Great! Here you are!" Oak handed Kris the Pokédex, grinning. Kris looked it over before slipping it into his pocket. Mr. Pokémon stepped forward, the egg still in his arms. "Here, Kris, if you could deliver this to Professor Elm, that would be wonderful."

Kris carefully laid the egg in his bag and nodded. "Right, well, I guess I'd better hurry back to Professor Elm, then!" He waved goodbye to the two men as he exited the home, though a buzzing on his wrist stopped him. He flicked open his Pokégear and glanced down, seeing the caller was Professor Elm.

"Hey, Professor, I just left Mr. Pokémon's house, and-"

"Kris, please, get back here now! Something terrible has happened!"

Kris's eyes widened. "Wh-What's wrong?"

"No time to explain, j-just hurry!" The line went dead as Professor Elm hung up the phone. Kris glanced down at Nina, a worried expression on his face. "Nina, what do you think happened? I guess we'd better get back as quick as we can…" He set off, Nina marching at his side, to return back home.

They bypassed most of the overgrown areas and made it back to Cherrygrove City in record time; once there, they headed straight for Route 29 back to New Bark Town.

As they stepped onto the Route, the same boy from before came up towards them. He had a sneer on his face and blocked the road in front of Kris and Nina. "You got a Pokémon at the lab? What a waste."

Kris glared at him, though his heart was pounding in fear. "Wh-What's that supposed to mean?"

"That Pokémon's too good for a wimp like you. You know what? I'll show you how good a real Pokémon can be!" The boy stepped back and threw a PokéBall, sending out a hedgehog-like Pokémon with flames on its back. Nina growled and jumped in front of Kris, her leaf swishing.

Kris shuffled back to give the Pokémon some room, realizing that this would be his first Trainer battle. "O-Okay, then, you're asking for it! Nina, use Razor Leaf!"

"Cyndaquil, tackle through them!" the boy commanded, snapping his fingers as he did so.

Nina growled and swung her head back, firing off three slashing leaves. "Chi-kor-kor-kor!" Cyndaquil charged through, dodging through a coupled and taking one to the side before slamming against Nina and knocking her to the side of the road.

Kris winced and bit his lip. "Nina, use Razor Leaf, then charge after 'em and Tackle him!" he cried, hoping desperately that it would work.

The boy smirked and shouted, "Cyndaquil, use Leer!"

Nina shot off her Razor Leaves and began to run after him, but the flames on Cyndaquil's back flared up, making Nina skid to a halt in fear. The Razor Leaves hit him, but he didn't seem to be fazed at all; he just glared at Nina with his smoldering fire.

"Now, Cyndaquil, Tackle that wimp's Pokémon and knock it out!"

Faster than Kris could see, Cyndaquil leapt forward and smashed into Nina's head, knocking her out cold. He then slowly walked back to the boy, who returned him to his PokéBall.

"Nina!" Kris cried, running over to where she was laying, kneeling beside her. "Are you okay?"

Nina blinked slowly and growled out, "Chi…kor…"

Kris pulled out one of the Potions the assistant had given him and began to spray Nina's bruises, hoping she was alright. Behind him, the boy just scoffed and started to walk off, calling behind him, "Weakling!"

Kris turned to glare at him, but noticed a card lying on the ground. He picked it up and read it, his eyes widening as he realized that it was the boy's Trainer Card. "Hey, Silver, you dropped this!" Kris called, tossing the card towards the boy.

Silver caught it and growled, angry that Kris knew his name now. "Yeah, that's right, remember my name!" he yelled back. "I'm gonna be the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer ever!" He stormed off, grumbling.

Kris turned back to Nina and sighed in relief; she was standing up, wagging her tail lightly. "Chi-KOR!" She growled out, nuzzling against Kris's hand before gently biting it. "Nina, you're okay!" Kris grinned and hugged her, holding her tight.

Soon after, they headed back to the Pokémon Lab, where Professor Elm was pacing outside, obviously worried. "Kris! There you are! Come inside, the police are here."

Kris blinked and followed the professor indoors, where a police officer was speaking with one of the assistants. He looked up as Kris entered and frowned. "Rule number one: the culprit always returns to the scene of the crime! It was you!"

Professor Elm shook his head. "No, no, Kris is just helping me with a research project. He was here moments before the robbery took place, but then left on an errand for me."

At that moment, Lyra burst through the door. "Officer, officer! I just remembered, I saw a strange boy with red hair looking through the window earlier!"

Kris nodded. "Yeah, I saw him too, and I battled him! He said he got his Pokémon from the lab; was that what was stolen?"

The officer nodded. "Indeed…you wouldn't have happened to have gotten his name, would you?"

"Actually, I did! His name is Silver; I managed to see his Trainer Card after the battle."

"This will definitely help the investigation; thank you!" The officer exited the building, followed by Lyra and her Marill.

Professor Elm sighed and turned to Kris. "All of this is so terrible…ah, yes, what was Mr. Pokémon's discovery?"

Kris opened his pack and handed to egg to the professor. "He gave me this, and Professor Oak gave me a new Pokédex!"

"Oh, another egg…wait, what?! R-Really? Kris, Professor Oak is a master at seeing potential in young Trainers…if he gave you a Pokédex…why, you may be able to take the Pokémon Gym Challenge!"

"Th-The Gym Challenge?" Kris stammered, his eyes wide. "I-I dunno…"

"Well, you can always challenge Violet City's Gym; it's just north of Cherrygrove. Who knows; if you beat all eight gyms, you can challenge the Elite Four and even the Champion!"

Nina bounced up in excitement; she liked the sound of the word 'champion'. Kris bit his lip, then shrugged. "W-Well, I can give it a try…who knows, it might be fun!"

Professor Elm beamed. "Fantastic! Well, make sure you talk to your mother about all of this."

Kris nodded and turned to leave. "Well, thanks, Prof! I'll call you if I beat the Champion!" He grinned and headed outside of the lab, turning towards his home, possibly for the last time before he was the Champion of Johto, the strongest Trainer ever.


End file.
